Attendance Matters

At Roscoe Primary School we are determined to do all we can to have excellent school attendance aiming for 100% attendance wherever possible. We know that regular attendance is directly linked to raising achievement and develops skills for life and work. Please help support Roscoe by ensuring that your child(ren) attend school regularly and arrive ready to learn on time at 8.45am.

97% attendance and above. Children with this attendance should achieve the best possible outcomes.

96% - 8 days absence through the school year. Children with this attendance are more likely to achieve their academic targets.

90% - 20 days absence through the school year. This is approximately a month of school per year. Children with this attendance may fall behind in their subjects and it will be difficult for them to achieve their best. With this level of attendance, the Department for Education consider children to be a ‘Persistant Absentee’.

80% - A day of absence for every week of school. It would be almost impossible for children with this level of attendance to keep up with their work. Parents and carers will face possible legal action.

Understanding types of absence

Every half day of absence from school, by law, has to be classified as either authorised or unauthorised. This is why information about the cause of absence is always asked for.

Authorised absences are mornings or afternoons away from school for reasons such as illness, medical appointments and exceptional family circumstances e.g bereavement.

An absence is classified as Unauthorised if the reason was not recognised as acceptable. The Department for Education and the Local Authority provide information for schools as what is acceptable and what is not.

Examples of reasons that are considered unacceptable:

• Time off for a minor ailment
• Holiday in term-time
• Birthday treat or day trip out
• Oversleeping or being tired
• Waiting in for workmen or minding the house
• Shopping or a visit to the hairdresser
• Taking a “long weekend”
• Looking after a brother or sister
• Translating for a family member or friend
• Taking the rest of the day off before or after a medical appointment
• Staying off because a brother or sister is off sick

What should I do if my child is absent from school?

You should contact your child’s school on the first morning of any absence – either by telephone or in person by 9.30am. You should tell the school the reason for your child’s absence and indicate when you think he/she is likely to return. When your child does return to school you should ensure that you send in a dated note confirming the reason for the absence.

Punctuality

It is important that all children arrive on time to school. If you arrive at school with your child after our gates have closed you will need to bring them in through the main school office entrance and sign them in.

If children are regularly late we will invite parents in for a meeting to look how punctuality can be approved.

Promoting attendance and support.

We believe that working together with parents is the best way to result in positive attendance outcomes for our children. We celebrate good attendance weekly during our Celebration Assembly and classes are presented with certificates and rewards. We are happy to work with both children and families to improve attendance and punctuality. Please contact us if you are having any issues.